How to best deal with stress

Are you the kind of person who needs stress to work well? Or do you suffer from stress and try to avoid it as much as possible?

No matter what type of person you are, each of us encounters some type of stress on a regular basis. At school, at work, or in other day-to-day matters, stress is like a shadow that follows us around and envelops us from time to time. 

The question is: What can I do to get rid of stress? 

In order not to be overwhelmed by the stress, it is very important to know the right way to deal with it.

Already since 1992, April is the month of stress awareness. Even though stress management is important in every month of the year, this month we pay special attention to our mental health and how to deal with stress in a positive way. 

"Stress is good. You just have to learn to deal with it properly."

Every one of us encounters some kind of stress from time to time. We all just react to it very differently. Some people suffer from sleep disturbances, unusual eating patterns, stomach problems or bad moods. 

The symptoms may sound petty at first, but they can lead to more serious illnesses. Because too much stress can also lead to serious mental and physical illnesses. 

How can you tell if you have too much stress?

Having too much stress mainly affects our mood. We often become more pessimistic because we feel that stress is controlling us. When the tension no longer motivates us but scares us, the stress level is definitely too high. Having our own expectations of ourselves is without question important and good. However, if our expectations of ourselves are too high, frustration slowly builds up in us, which then turns into sleep problems, nervousness, stomach aches or other symptoms. 

Stress is positive to a certain degree. We stress ourselves in life because of things that are especially important to us. Pressure is important to be able to perform. The question is, how much stress is really good for us? Everyone deals with stress differently and can handle more or less stress depending on the person. So we all need to find out how much stress we need in order to reach our maximum potential. Properly dosed, stress is not negative at all. It drives us and directs our focus to a specific thing that matters to us. This type of positive stress is short-term, intermittent stress. Chronic, continuous stress, on the other hand, is dangerous to mental health. 

What is stress management?

Stress management is the ability to deal with stress in a healthy way. It is an absolute core competency in today's world. When stress controls our lives, our bodies and minds resign. So it's important that we learn everyday strategies for better stress management and regularly alternate between tension and relaxation.

We will give you a few tips on simple activities that will help you cope better with stress in everyday life: 

1. Get rid of unnecessary stress

Before you can start with stress management, you should first become aware of what is actually stressing you out. Is it your own expectations? Is it your job? 

Many people get stressed because of things they can't control. Things they can't change and therefore aren't worth dealing with so much. If you realize that you are stressing out because of things that you can change yourself, you should definitely do so. Too much perfectionism, in particular, creates a lot of stress. Write down your stressors and think rationally about how you can eliminate them from your life as quickly as possible and whether these stressors really deserve to play such an important role in your life. 

2. Find your own stress level

Stress itself does not make you sick. Dealing with it the wrong way, however, does. 

Some people love challenges and time pressure, others work better outside of extreme situations. The way you feel about stress is something very individual. 

That's why it's important to get to know yourself properly. The best way to do this is through trial and error. Observe yourself in stressful situations at work and see if you can work better in stressful situations or stress-free situations. 

In particularly stressful times, such as when a big project is coming up, we can set "process goals" for ourselves. It helps to set smaller intermediate stages that provide more motivation. Continuously striving for the intermediate stages keeps us going, spurs us on, and can even make us happy.

Furthermore, it is interruptions from work that stress us out. Stopping and then starting again from a task, triggers stress. Therefore, one should focus intensely on one task and not be distracted by other things. 

3. Find a quick solution to your stress

Basically, there are two different types of stress management: short-term and long-term. If you have a lot of stress, you can access short-term techniques to help you relieve stress. 

• Emotional stress is managed by spontaneously relaxing. So take a break, drink a relaxing tea or go for a walk. 
• Let out the negative energy. Breathe in and out deeply, and if it helps, stamp your feet or swear loudly.
• Distract yourself from something completely different. Look at a photo that brings back fond memories or watch a funny video.
• Reduce stressors: turn off the source of noise, such as your cell phone. 

If you want to reduce stress in the long run, because you repeatedly notice stress symptoms, you should first of all see that you eliminate or at least minimize the stress factors from your life. You can also undertake various activities to reduce stress in the long term: 

• Regularly practice relaxation methods, such as yoga, meditation or exercise, to reduce mental stress.
• Don't multitask. It is better to complete tasks one at a time.
• Address conflicts with other people directly to get them out of the way as quickly as possible. 
• Improve your time management by distinguishing important from unimportant.
• Learn to say "no." Say "no" when you don't have time or energy for something. 
• Reduce electronic distractions: TV, cell phone or computer.

4. Take care of your health

In stressful situations - whether they are punctual or long-term stressful situations - we should pay special attention to our health. Drink enough water, eat colorful and balanced meals and exercise regularly. 

We recommend you pay special attention to taking vitamin C and B vitamins. Because: 

• Vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, biotin and C contribute to normal functioning of the nervous system.
• Vitamins B2, C and E help protect cells from oxidative stress.
• Vitamins B2, B6, B12 and C help reduce fatigue and tiredness.

Check out our Vitamin B Complex and take one capsule a day to support your nervous system. 

Stay optimistic even in stressful situations

Trust yourself and listen to the voice in your head. Once you've analyzed stressors, figure out how to get rid of them as quickly as possible. Take time with family, friends, do sports or other hobbies and relax regularly from everyday life.